This catalogue of a Kelsey Museum of Archaeology exhibition showcases a selection of Islamic art works held in the University of Michigan's collections. Rather than arranged chronologically, geographically, or by media, the objects are organized thematically and conceptually. Themes include the intersections between function and decoration, the aesthetic power of everyday objects, visual play, wit, and magic, connections and interrelationships across art forms, and light symbolism and illumination. The volume not only highlights the strengths of the university's collections of Islamic art but also explores various issues integral to the conception and production of art in the Islamic world from the medieval period until the present day.

With 115 colour illustrations.

Catalogue Essay

Catalogue of Objects

Introduction

Everyday Beauty

Play and Protection

Media Metaphors

Illumination

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Accession Number/Catalogue Number Concordance

Subject Index

About the Authors

Christiane Gruber is Associate Professor of Islamic Art in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research interests span medieval Islamic art to contemporary visual culture. She has authored two books on Islamic texts and images of the Prophet Muhammad's ascension and has edited several volumes on Islamic book arts, ascension texts and images, and visual and material culture.

Ashley Dimmig is a Ph.D. student in the History of Art Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Her research interests include Persian and Turkish early modern and modern visual culture, with a special emphasis on textile arts and Ottoman imperial tents. She is the author of "Fabricating a New Image: Imperial Tents in the Late Ottoman Period," published in the International Journal of Islamic Architecture (2014).